Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

Name: Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 10 h 40 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly (113g); 3/4 cup warm water (177g); 3 cups all-purpose flour (420g); 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter (60g); 3 tablespoons honey (63g); 1 teaspoon salt (6g); 1 egg; 1 egg yolk; 1 tablespoon water

June 18, 2022 by Lisa 51 Comments

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These sourdough hot dog buns are light, fluffy, and packed full of flavor. They are super easy to make and will take your next family barbecue up a notch.

hot dog with ketchup and mustard in a homemade sourdough hot dog bun on a wire rack. More hot dog buns in the background

Summer has arrived in Missouri. We’ve had multiple very hot days already, but thankfully, it feels like the typical Missouri June weather is coming back.

These types of days call for a hot dog roast over a fire or BBQ. Since this is the first summer ever with a back porch, fire pit, and grill, we are totally living it up. We’ve had so much fun building family memories out there already.

How do you elevate regular ol’ hot dogs? Make some sourdough hot dog buns to serve them in! Delicious, tangy, and healthier than the store-bought bun, they are also pretty darn easy.

I understand that hot dogs are not necessarily a “health food”, but people aren’t usually choosing hot dogs to eat healthier.

They can, however, make a fun and delicious meal on occasion. We love choosing grass-fed hot dogs for a healthier option.

Most of the steps for the sourdough hot dog rolls are done the night before, so the day of, you just roll the dough, allow to rise one more time, and bake.

For a long time, when a long-fermented recipe called for eggs, I would wait until after the bulk fermentation to add the eggs, which can be tricky.

More recently, I’ve just been adding the egg when I’m mixing the dough, and it has been totally fine. But this will totally depend on your comfort zone. I’ve done this ten times now, and we’ve been fine.

6 sourdough hot dog buns on a wire rack with one sliced open

Tips For Making Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

This recipe can be fermented overnight for the most health benefits, or can be made into a quicker version for when you don’t have as much time.
Make sure your sourdough starter is nice and bubbly. A active starter is what is going to give this bread its rise.
If you buns are not rising the dough could be over-proofed, under proofed, or the temperature was too cold during rising. Also, if your starter is not super active it can take longer for the dough to rise.
If you are new to sourdough, make sure to see how to make your own sourdough starter and how to care for it.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

What is the best bread for hot dogs?

Sourdough bread is, in my opinion, the best bread for hot dogs. This is because it adds so much flavor and is fermented, making the bread more nutritious.

six sourdough hot dog buns with a gorgeous golden brown crust on parchment paper

Ingredients

Sourdough starter – active and bubbly
Warm water
Unbleached all-purpose flour
Coconut oil or butter – or any neutral tasting oil
Honey
Salt
Eggs

side view of six sourdough hot dot buns on parchment paper

Tools

Stand mixer

Grain mill to grind fresh grain (optional)

Measuring cups

Berkey water filter

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

How To Make Sourdough Hotdog Buns

hands holding a hot dog with ketchup and mustard drizzled on top in a sourdough hot dog bun.

The Day Before

Feed sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting the dough. You want the starter to be really active and bubbly before it starts to come down.

In a stand mixer, add warm water, unbleached all-purpose flour, melted butter or another neutral tasting oil, sourdough starter, honey, salt and egg.

Knead with a dough hook for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap for 8-10 hours.

Optional: For a longer fermentation, transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill overnight, covered.

The Next Day

eight balls of dough on a white quartz countertop next to a bench scraper

Divide the dough into ten equal pieces. I like to use a bench scraper.

sourdough dough balls being rolled out into small rectangles

Shape the hotdog buns by rolling the dough out with a rolling pin to form a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle and then roll them up.

sourdough hot dot buns shaped and placed on parchment lined baking sheets

Cover the buns with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise until doubled.

sourdough hot dog bun dough shaped onto parchment paper, allowed to rise a final time, and an egg wash brushed over

Create an egg wash by beating an egg yolk with water, then brush the tops of the buns with the mixture.

close up picture of golden brown sourdough hot dog buns

Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.

close up of a sourdough hot dog bun cut down the side with a hot dog with ketchup and mustard nestled inside

For A “Quicker” Version

In a stand mixer with a dough hook, add sourdough starter, warm water, all purpose flour, melted butter or coconut oil, honey, egg, and salt. Knead for 5-10 minutes.
Shape buns and let rise until doubled, approximately 1-2 hours.
Create egg wash and brush on top of the shaped buns.
Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven until lightly browned on top, approximately 25-30 minutes.
Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

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